In recent years, wood and coal burning stoves have gained widespread popularity as a means of home heating. These stoves operate efficiently and for long periods in a slow combustion mode. The joints of the stove are tightly sealed, and air flow to the stove is carefully controlled. Such stoves are usually used in a living area of a home such as a living room, family room, den or kitchen.
All stoves require removal of ash buildup from time to time. In some stoves, the ashes build up at the base of the combustion chamber and are simply shoveled out. Other stoves employ a grate positioned at the base of the combustion chamber for support of the wood or other fuel. Ashes drop through holes in the grate into an ash pan located in a compartment in the base of the stove. The ash pan is usually an open-topped box and is accessed through a door in the front or side of the stove base. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,466,358 and 4,363,785 and U.K. Patent Application No. 2052045. The door and ash pan have been combined to form an ash drawer. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,347,831 and 2,845,882.
The ash buildup in wood stoves contains material which is extremely light and can be spilled or blown about by the slightest disturbance or breeze. In addition, the ash buildup often includes still-burning charcoal fragments when the stove was recently used or is still in use. The spillage of such ash and hot charcoal is highly undesirable in a home where rugs and furniture are near the stove. An inconvenient cleanup will be required, and if hot charcoal is spilled, the furniture or rug is likely to be permanently damaged. Furthermore, if spillage of hot charcoal is not noticed, a fire can occur.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel ash pan assembly for use with wood burning and coal burning stoves.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel ash pan assembly which permits safe and clean disposal of ashes from a wood burning or coal burning stove.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel ash pan assembly wherein the ash pan containing ashes and coal can be covered before it is detached from the stove.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus with a permanently attached ash pan door and an ash pan mounted for easy removal from the ash pan door.